This is a collection of images and books that inspired and aided in the writing of Eldritch Manor.
d’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths, by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
This book, along with the Norse book (see below) gave me the very first inspiration for Eldritch Manor. I LOVED these books when I was in about grade four.
Half Magic, by Edward Eager
One of my favourite books when I was in elementary school. This and others like it made me think about putting magical things into everyday life.
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I’ve always been intrigued by apartment buildings, and the mystery of what could lie behind each of those doors. At some point I thought of mythological beings living in a hallway like this…
Art galleries and art books are also great sources of inspiration – for characters, locations, atmosphere, etc.
“Girl with a Kitten” by Lucian Freud
When I was thinking about those creepy cats with human faces I pictured them with faces like this girl – intense but expressionless, with big eyes and small foreheads.
Images can come from anywhere…
This is a photo I clipped out of a Walrus magazine and had pinned to my wall. Every time I wrote about the snake/worm creature at the end I just looked at this and it made my skin crawl. It’s best to feel kind of icky when writing about icky things.